Font Size
Paul and his associates had received a special offering from the Gentile churches in Greece for the suffering Jewish saints in Jerusalem. Details about this collection are recorded in 2 Corinthians 8–9. There were several purposes behind this special offering. To begin with, it was an expression of love on the part of the Gentiles toward their Jewish brethren. Second, it meant practical relief at a time when the poor Jewish believers needed it the most. Third, it helped to unite Jews and Gentiles in the church. It was a bond that brought them closer together.
Paul looked on this offering as the paying of a debt. The Gentiles had received spiritual wealth from the Jews. They now returned material wealth, paying their debt. Paul considered himself a “debtor” to the whole world (Rom. 1:14). He also considered the Gentile Christians debtors to the Jews, for it was the Jews who gave to the Gentiles the Word of God and the Son of God. We Christians ought to feel an obligation to Israel, and to pay that debt by praying for Israel, sharing the gospel, and helping in a material way. Anti-Semitism has no place in the life of a dedicated Christian.
Not only was this offering a payment of a debt, but it was also “fruit” (Rom. 15:28). It was not “loot” that Paul stole from the churches! It was fruit–the natural result of their walk with the Lord (see John 15:1-8).
When the life of the Spirit flows through a church, giving is no problem. Paul, in 2 Corinthians 8:1-5, described the miracle of grace that occurred in the churches of Macedonia.
Paul was anxious that this offering be received by the Jewish believers and be acceptable to them. He wanted to bring about, under God, a closer bond between the mother church at Jerusalem and the daughter churches in other parts of the empire. Unfortunately, there were still Jews who opposed the message of grace to the Gentiles and who wanted the Gentiles to become Jews and accept the Jewish law. (Bible students call these people “Judaizers.” They followed Paul wherever he went and tried to steal his churches from him. The epistle to the Galatians was written to combat their evil works.)
The words “strive together” in Romans 15:30 suggest an athlete giving his best in the contest. Perhaps the words “wrestling together” better express the idea. This same term is used of the praying of Epaphras in Colossians 4:12. This verse does not mean that we must fight with God to get what we need. Rather, it means our praying must not be a casual experience that has no heart or earnestness. We should put as much fervor into our praying as a wrestler does into his wrestling!